A foreign national who has been resident in Iceland for a specified period may apply for Icelandic citizenship if he/she meets the statutory requirements set. The Directorate of Immigration grants Icelandic citizenship and handles the processing of applications.
The Icelandic parliament Althingi can also grant citizenship by law.
A foreign national who is granted Icelandic citizenship is not required to renounce previous citizenship in order to obtain Icelandic nationality. However, the law of the state of which the person is a citizen may require the renunciation of citizenship in that state if the person acquires citizenship of another state. This applies, for example, to Norway.
An amendment to the Act on Icelandic Citizenship, No. 100/1952, entered into force on 1 July 2003 which allows Icelandic nationals to retain their Icelandic citizenship even if they apply for citizenship in another state, provided that state allows double citizenship.
Detailed information on this issue together with application forms is available on the web of the Directorate of Immigration.
To register an Icelandic citizen born abroad, see Registers Iceland.
The Ministry of Justice is responsible for formulating policy and for public oversight of citizenship matters, and participates in international cooperation with regard to citizenship. The Ministry handles appeals against decisions by the Directorate of Immigration on the basis of the Act on Icelandic Citizenship.
